Locus of control and social support: explanations of resistance Flashcards
What is meant by locus of control
LoC is a personality dimension
- it concerns the extent to which individuals percieve themselves as being in control of their own lives
- and hoe much they influence their successes or failures
Who investigated locus of control ?
Rotter
How is LoC measured?
It is measured on a scale of high internal to high external
What are the characteristics if a person with a high internal LoC ?
An individual who believes their life us determined by their own decisions and efforts
What are the characteristics if a person with a high external LoC ?
An individual who believes their life is determined by fate, luck and external factors
High internal LoC qualities
- believes they have personal control over their lives.
- it is due to their actions and choices
- they are more resistant to social pressure and see themselves in control of a situation therefore less likely to conform
- confident in their decisions
- more likely to take responsibility for their actions
High external LoC qualities
- believe things happen to them regardless to their actions
- believe what happens to them is luck or fate and that they are not in control of their life
- it is all due to external forces in their environment ( for example other people)
what kind of locus of control is more likely to resist conformity ?
- internal locus of control
- because they believe in their ability to make independent decisions and judgements
what kind of locus of control are more likely to resist to obedience ?
- internal locus of control
- less likely to obey an authority figure due to their sense of independence
- willing to question orders
Evidence for
LoC + resisting conformity
Spector (1983)
- gave rotter’s LoC to 157 students and a questionnare that measured the tendency to conform to NSI and ISI pressure.
- found ps with high external LoC did conform more in NSI situations. This suggests that people with high external LoC are less able to resist social influence
Evidence for LoC + resisting obedience
Schurz (1985)
- found no differences in the rates of obedience for his ps with a high internal LoC or high external LoC
However those with a high internal LoC felt more responsible for their actions
This supports the suggestion that feelings of a personal control may be related to resistance to social influence
What is meant by social support ?
This refers to the way that the presence of others who defy authority figures or go against the majority opinion can give the perception of assistance or solidarity in a situation
- having social support provides an ally
what does social support provide individuals with ?
- provides individuals with the confidence to stand against majority pressure or authoritarian commands
what is social support associated with ?
- the diffusion of responsibility
- the more people that disobey or dissent, the less sever the consequences are likely to be
what does social support counter the feelings of ?
and what does this reinforce ?
- counters feelings of isolation or vulnerability from dissent or defiance
- reinforces the individuals resolve and legitimising resistance
resistance to conformity: what are individuals with a non-conformist ally more likely to do ? and why ?
- more likely to resist conforming to group pressure
- because the ally breaks the groups unanimity and creates an alternate group to belong to
resistance to obedience:
what are individuals with a disobedient role model more likely to do and why ?
- more likely to resist obeying orders of an authority figure
- because the role model challenges the legitimacy of the authority
Social support findings from Asch
resist pressure to conform
-unanimity variation
- found that if there is no dissenter who answers correctly from the start of the study, conformity drops from 32% to 5.5%
- but if the confederate only starts to dissent later, the study, conformity only drops to 8.5%. This suggests that social support received earlier is more effective than support received later
AO3 for social support:
Social support findings from Milgram
resist the pressure to obey
- found that when 2 confederates paired with the real participant left the study early on
- 1 at 150V and the other at 210V, declaring that they would go no further
- only 10% of ps gave the maximum 450 volt shock
This suggest that the creating of a group norm of disobedience put the ps under pressure to conform to the behaviour of the confederates - and it reduces the legitimacy of authority
AO3
social support seems to be an incomplete explanation for resistance
- may be alternative explanation.
- there are still some individuals who continue to obey and conform
10% milgram
5.5% of the critical trials in Asch - there may be other factors such as the dispositional explanation.
